Why does no one on BO discuss what goes on outside the non-sport trading card hobby?

[fabiani12333]

It seems like no one on BO talks about the big news and changes involving the companies that produce and own the rights to the properties and characters being printed on trading cards. Here is some of the big recent news none of you guys are talking about:

-- Disney announced a new CEO: https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/new...-announcement/

-- Lucasfilm announced new leadership: https://www.starwars.com/news/lucasfilm-leadership

-- Warner Bros is being sold to either Netflix or Paramount: https://www.wbd.com/news/warner-bros...reject-amended

And that's not all -- there is plenty of other big news involving the companies who control the fictional characters that are depicted on trading cards.

So why don't you guys discuss this on BO? Is it because you are just focused on the cards you sell or collect? I mean, these changes will impact those cards, whether you want to acknowledge them or not. The non-sports trading card hobby does not live in a bubble that is impervious to outside changes. There is a big difference between Netflix getting the rights to DC and Harry Potter, and Paramount getting them.

But, continue to ignore the big changes, I guess.

[finfangfan]

WB being sold has been brought up numerous times.

[jdandns]

I thought they'd stop making non-sports cards a long time ago, so every set that comes out that I even remotely like, I'm super grateful for.
I just kinda learned to go with the flow. There's never not been new cards for me to collect ever since 1976 Topps King Kong, which is the first one I ever assembled by the numbers, from packs I opened myself. Worrying about the IP intrigues then would've been a waste of time. That hasn't changed.

[fabiani12333]

Originally Posted by jdandns

I thought they'd stop making non-sports cards a long time ago, so every set that comes out that I even remotely like, I'm super grateful for.
I just kinda learned to go with the flow. There's never not been new cards for me to collect ever since 1976 Topps King Kong, which is the first one I ever assembled by the numbers, from packs I opened myself. Worrying about the IP intrigues then would've been a waste of time. That hasn't changed.

It seems like the future focus of entertainment will be on IP, especially with the rise of AI. Netflix and Paramount are doing battle right now because they want that sweet, sweet established IP.

[fabiani12333]

Originally Posted by finfangfan

WB being sold has been brought up numerous times.

I did see it mentioned a few times -- I was one of the those who did. But it's still uncertain who will end up buying WB.

The difference between Netflix and Paramount owning WB could be the difference between night and day.

[greatgradegrate]

Originally Posted by fabiani12333

I did see it mentioned a few times -- I was one of the those who did. But it's still uncertain who will end up buying WB.

The difference between Netflix and Paramount owning WB could be the difference between night and day.

Honestly when it comes to these shake ups I'm more concerned about the implications of the art that is produced by these studios and less so the cards that are produced from that art.

What do you think the difference between Netflix and Paramount would be regarding trading card licenses? Don't both of them have past and existing relationships with Topps and UD? I assume that any deal WB has with UD would be honored through transition. Also assume both companies enjoy money.

[fabiani12333]

Originally Posted by greatgradegrate

Honestly when it comes to these shake ups I'm more concerned about the implications of the art that is produced by these studios and less so the cards that are produced from that art.

What do you think the difference between Netflix and Paramount would be regarding trading card licenses? Don't both of them have past and existing relationships with Topps and UD? I assume that any deal WB has with UD would be honored through transition. Also assume both companies enjoy money.

I don't know what happens with the UD agreement if WB is sold. But I have to assume the agreement was made with the expectation that WB could be sold and the new owner would want full discretion on what to do with the licenses. Maybe the agreement with UD is short-term and will expire in a few years. Or maybe the license can be voided if WB is sold.

[Xiarmadillo]

I think its more so those changes don't obviously materialistically affect the card market and upcoming products.

What I find interesting, although not surprising (since this is NA card collecting board of a NA big card seller) is the lack of noise regarding the absolute rising dominance of Kayou in non-sports cards in Asia/SE Asia. 1.5 billion/2 + billion USD in revenue (24/25) selling $10-$25 USD boxes to the masses...with 60-70 local/regional licenses ranging from Naruto, My Little Pony, Transformers, Spongebob to such things as British Museum Items, Red Mansion, Hatsune Miku etc
They are able to do this while maintaining card quality (literally everything is foil or more..aka acetate, metal etc, with some low level inserts (multiples per box) card looking like chases made by UD and Topps...)
Their gross margin was 70% selling at the prices they do. You bust these and you dont even care what the cards are worth, just get somethings that look nice.

US exposure and mainly only thru import at markup.

[cypher]

Disney's new CEO is another crazy person that will drive the company further down. Warner Brothers should not be allowed to be acquired by Netflix because it's an awful company that prioritizes propaganda. Lucasfilm doesn't matter because Disney is determined to destroy Star Wars after bleeding the IP dry.

[greatgradegrate]

Originally Posted by cypher

Disney's new CEO is another crazy person that will drive the company further down. Warner Brothers should not be allowed to be acquired by Netflix because it's an awful company that prioritizes propaganda. Lucasfilm doesn't matter because Disney is determined to destroy Star Wars after bleeding the IP dry.

Netflix prioritizes propaganda, but not the maga billionaires blatantly shifting the political direction of its recent media acquisitions in part to appease the current admin so it can acquire more media companies?

Also, "...determined to destroy Star Wars"? How? By continuing to make it?

[Brobocop]

Originally Posted by cypher

Disney's new CEO is another crazy person that will drive the company further down. Warner Brothers should not be allowed to be acquired by Netflix because it's an awful company that prioritizes propaganda. Lucasfilm doesn't matter because Disney is determined to destroy Star Wars after bleeding the IP dry.

[fabiani12333]

Originally Posted by Xiarmadillo

What I find interesting, although not surprising (since this is NA card collecting board of a NA big card seller) is the lack of noise regarding the absolute rising dominance of Kayou in non-sports cards in Asia/SE Asia. 1.5 billion/2 + billion USD in revenue (24/25) selling $10-$25 USD boxes to the masses...with 60-70 local/regional licenses ranging from Naruto, My Little Pony, Transformers, Spongebob to such things as British Museum Items, Red Mansion, Hatsune Miku etc
They are able to do this while maintaining card quality (literally everything is foil or more..aka acetate, metal etc, with some low level inserts (multiples per box) card looking like chases made by UD and Topps...)
Their gross margin was 70% selling at the prices they do. You bust these and you dont even care what the cards are worth, just get somethings that look nice.

US exposure and mainly only thru import at markup.

Wow -- seems like a fast-growing company.

[fabiani12333]

Originally Posted by cypher

Disney's new CEO is another crazy person that will drive the company further down. Warner Brothers should not be allowed to be acquired by Netflix because it's an awful company that prioritizes propaganda. Lucasfilm doesn't matter because Disney is determined to destroy Star Wars after bleeding the IP dry.

There certainly seems to be a lot of apprehension lately with the changes being made in the film and streaming industries. But I haven't seen anyone call Disney's new CEO Josh D'Amaro crazy -- maybe I've missing something? I know there has been some controversy with Dana Walden, the new Chief Creative Officer, though.

Star Wars has certainly been at a low point in recent years. We'll see if anything can be done by new Chief Creative Officer Dave Filoni to get it headed in the right direction again.

I saw there was some controversy involving Netflix cartoons recently -- cartoons that had apparently been on Netflix for years without any prior controversy. I have a subscription to Netflix, but I haven't really watched any of their shows. So I can't comment on whether or not they are filled with propaganda of any kind. I do think they would handle Warner Bros' IP differently than Paramount, which should concern those who are fans of characters like Batman and Superman.

[Brobocop]

Originally Posted by fabiani12333

There certainly seems to be a lot of apprehension lately with the changes being made in the film and streaming industries. But I haven't seen anyone call Disney's new CEO Josh D'Amaro crazy -- maybe I've missing something? I know there has been some controversy with Dana Walden, the new Chief Creative Officer, though.

Star Wars has certainly been at a low point in recent years. We'll see if anything can be done by new Chief Creative Officer Dave Filoni to get it headed in the right direction again.

I saw there was some controversy involving Netflix cartoons recently -- cartoons that had apparently been on Netflix for years without any prior controversy. I have a subscription to Netflix, but I haven't really watched any of their shows. So I can't comment on whether or not they are filled with propaganda of any kind. I do think they would handle Warner Bros' IP differently than Paramount, which should concern those who are fans of characters like Batman and Superman.

I’d rather Netflix get the Warner IP because Netflix wants it, Paramount desperately needs it. From what I have heard, Netflix is pretty good about letting their creative do what they want.

Paramount needing this and paying such a high price for it would mean they would churn out so much low quality stuff just to try to see some sort of return. The debt they’ll need to take on would most likely crush them.

[fabiani12333]

Originally Posted by Brobocop

Paramount needing this and paying such a high price for it would mean they would churn out so much low quality stuff just to try to see some sort of return. The debt they’ll need to take on would most likely crush them.

Wouldn't daddy Ellison or perhaps the Saudis float Paramount?

I kid, I kid -- or maybe not?

[dd316]

I don't think anything mentioned will affect non-sports cards, at least not right now. It's not being ignored, I just don't know that there's anything worth talking about. Unless any of the moves result in more or less cards...?

-- Disney announced a new CEO: https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/new...-announcement/

Bob Iger, Bob Chapek, Bob Iger again... did any of that make a difference? I suppose it did when Iger started gobbling up IPs, but all along the cards kept flowing.

-- Lucasfilm announced new leadership: https://www.starwars.com/news/lucasfilm-leadership

The only effect I've seen so far is a bump in his very few autos.

-- Warner Bros is being sold to either Netflix or Paramount: https://www.wbd.com/news/warner-bros...reject-amended

Agreements already in place will remain in place through transitions. We saw it happen when Disney bought Marvel yet Upper Deck continued producing Marvel sets (at record pace at the end) until the license ran out.

And that's not all -- there is plenty of other big news involving the companies who control the fictional characters that are depicted on trading cards.

What are the ramifications of any of this? At the end of the day, nobody really cares if Topps, Upper Deck, Leaf, or whoever are making the cards, as long as there are cards. Lots of people cried over Marvel going to Topps, then they wiped their tears and just bought their Marvel cards from Topps. It happens especially in sports, too. Everybody was sad about the exclusive licenses with the pro leagues, but they all just kept on buying.

[StlBen]

It's foggy outside today, this effects the mailman that delivers the cards to my house...why is no one talking about this?

[Rictor]

As others have said, it doesn't really matter. All companies have a licensing department and the job of the licensing department is to sell as many licensing agreements as possible.

The only difference I see between Netflix and Paramount is that Netflix is likely to do more direct to streaming stuff and not focus on theatrical releases, although they do tend to do theatrical releases for their bigger properties.

Netflix also has more cash to experiment with more series and bigger budgets for special effects.

Paramount's streaming service attempts have not been great for the most part. They're pretty much just existing on the Start Trek IP.

The impact to the trading card industry isn't really there. If anything, the big impact of this sale, if any, would be to the comic book industry, as DC Comics is owned by Warner Bros. The new owner could decide they don't want to be in the publishing business and choose to license out the DC properties to another comic company rather than self-publish.

[Bob Ross]

Originally Posted by cypher

Disney's new CEO is another crazy person that will drive the company further down. Warner Brothers should not be allowed to be acquired by Netflix because it's an awful company that prioritizes propaganda. Lucasfilm doesn't matter because Disney is determined to destroy Star Wars after bleeding the IP dry.

[Brobocop]

Originally Posted by Bob Ross

The idea that a corporation would spend billions on an IP and then be like, "We need to destroy this" is laughable to me. When people talk like that, I basically disengage from any conversation since I know it's going to go nowhere.

[Bob Ross]

Originally Posted by Brobocop

The idea that a corporation would spend billions on an IP and then be like, "We need to destroy this" is laughable to me. When people talk like that, I basically disengage from any conversation since I know it's going to go nowhere.

Eddie Murphy agrees. My favorite part is when he said Netflix prioritizes propaganda, insinuating that Paramount (you know, the company run by someone who wears kneepads to please the current administration whenever they so please) isn't trying to buy it for that exact reason.

Good times!

[jdandns]

I love how wildly the Kathleen Kennedy/Star Wars joke on "South Park" was missed by the vast majority of internet chatters.

Star Wars will still be here generating revenue, long after we are all dead.

[Brobocop]

Originally Posted by Bob Ross

Eddie Murphy agrees. My favorite part is when he said Netflix prioritizes propaganda, insinuating that Paramount (you know, the company run by someone who wears kneepads to please the current administration whenever they so please) isn't trying to buy it for that exact reason.

Good times!

Propaganda is okay when I agree with it.

[KeltonB]

Originally Posted by fabiani12333

...But it's still uncertain who will end up buying WB.

The difference between Netflix and Paramount owning WB could be the difference between night and day.

Restore the SnyderVerse.

[eldavojohn]

Originally Posted by fabiani12333

It seems like no one on BO talks about the big news and changes involving the companies that produce and own the rights to the properties and characters being printed on trading cards. Here is some of the big recent news none of you guys are talking about:

-- Disney announced a new CEO: https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/new...-announcement/

-- Lucasfilm announced new leadership: https://www.starwars.com/news/lucasfilm-leadership

-- Warner Bros is being sold to either Netflix or Paramount: https://www.wbd.com/news/warner-bros...reject-amended

And that's not all -- there is plenty of other big news involving the companies who control the fictional characters that are depicted on trading cards.

So why don't you guys discuss this on BO? Is it because you are just focused on the cards you sell or collect? I mean, these changes will impact those cards, whether you want to acknowledge them or not. The non-sports trading card hobby does not live in a bubble that is impervious to outside changes. There is a big difference between Netflix getting the rights to DC and Harry Potter, and Paramount getting them.

When licenses changed hands, a billion posts about it. When Fanatics bought Topps, another billion. I'm guilty of just derailing every single thread about it.

Corporate CEO BS and mergers at a level where "trading card" isn't mentioned in the press release? Likely not going to have any impact on the hobby to be frank. I'm sure there's some reddit threads to discuss that kind of thing that you can find ... I'm actually thankful blowout is relatively free of the Kennedy drama. Oh my god, had to leave a couple facebook groups over that noise. Wow.

Originally Posted by fabiani12333

But, continue to ignore the big changes, I guess.